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CHEF IN RESIDENCE - BETH HENSPERGER
Beth’s writing career began when she was chosen as the Guest Cooking Instructor for the March 1985 issue of Bon Appetit. She is now the author of fifteen cookbooks, many of them best sellers. Her most recent books include: Williams Sonoma Breads (Weldon Owen), Bread For Breakfast (Ten Speed Press), and The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook (HCP). The Bread Bible (Chronicle Books) is the recipient of The James Beard Foundation Award for Baking in 2000. Beth's Basic Bread Book (Chronicle Books), a sequential text for the beginning home baker, published in the Fall of 1996, was chosen as one of the best baking books of the year by People Magazine. She has been nominated twice for the IACP Julia Child Cookbook Awards. Her books are all represented at the prestigious Culinary Collection of the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When she isn't up to her elbows in flour, Beth is a monthly food columnist with the San Jose Mercury News "Baking By the Seasons". She is a regular contributor to Cooking Pleasures, Food & Wine, Shape Magazine, Bon Appétit, Veggie Life, and Pastry Art and Design Magazines. Beth describes bread baking as "an art with only a few tools." About vanilla she says, "Vanilla is my FAVORITE flavor, fragrance, and taste and a very necessary ingredient in baking." Beth has been extremely generous with sharing some of her favorite recipes that showcase vanilla. Just reading the recipes made me incredibly hungry and ready to jump up from the computer and rush to the kitchen cupboard to start baking. I know you will agree as you read on. VANILLA COCONUT QUICK BREADCoconut and vanilla are toothsome combos in this luscious quick bread. Be sure to use unsweetened coconut rather than sweetened, as the sweetened is too moist for this recipe. Serve alongside fruit or poultry salads, or toast and top with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. Ingredients:
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with Baker's Joy cooking spray; set aside. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet; toast, shaking the pan once, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl and cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil, eggs, coconut extract, and vanilla. Beat hard with a whisk until frothy. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in. Stir well with a large spatula until evenly incorporated; batter will be slightly lumpy. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Bake in the center of the preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The top surface will be crusty and firm to the touch, the sides deep brown. Let rest in the pan 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack, right side up, to cool completely before slicing. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature. Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf. CHRISTMAS VANILLA BUTTER COOKIESButter cookies are good for company, for Christmas Eve, after mass, after dinner. This is an opportunity to rummage through my stash of cookie cutters; I especially like stars and half-moons. Take care to add only the amount of flour called for in the recipe; too much flour in the dough will seam to make it easier to roll out, but ends up way too tough after baking. For the larger cookies, decorate each by topping each cookie with a maraschino cherry half (I get a jar and pour out the liquid, replacing it with Amaretto, keeping it in the refrigerator indefinitely); a perfect pecan, almond or walnut half; a fan of sliced almonds; or sprinkle with colored decorator sugar. They are a great gift accompanied by some cookie cutters and the recipe. Ingredients:
Instructions: Cream the butter and sugar until smooth with an electric mixer; beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir together the flour, salt, soda, and cream of tartar and mix into the creamed mixture until blended. Divide into 3 portions and wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, until just firm but still pliable, to overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat. Divide the dough into quarters and let warm at room temperature until pliable for rolling. With a rolling pin, roll out each portion of dough, 1/4 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3- to 5-inch heart-shaped, star, or other shaped cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible, dipping the cutter into flour only if the dough sticks. Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Refrigerate the filled baking sheets while one is baking. Bake the cookies until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 dozen 4 to 5-inch cookies and 6 to 7 dozen 3 inch cookies. La Beth's Vanilla Corn BreadThis sweet, moist corn bread has a delicate aroma paired with the grainy texture of the cornmeal. Utterly divine served piping hot with sliced fresh papaya and sweet butter as an unusual breakfast cake, toasted with butter, or as a bed for poached eggs. Ingredients:
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350º. Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla with a wooden spoon or dough whisk. Add to the dry ingredients and pour the melted butter over the top of the batter. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened yet thoroughly blended; take care not to overmix. Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch round springform pan or square Pyrex pan. Bake in the preheated oven about 40 to 45 minutes, until golden around the edges and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to serve. Makes one 8-inch bread. YEASTED BUTTERMILK VANILLA WAFFLESYeast adds a dimension of flavor and texture by allowing the batter to develop overnight before baking. Remember that a high temperature, in either a regular grid or Belgium-style waffle maker, tends to make a crisp waffle, while a lower temperature produces a waffle that is moist and tender. Serve with your choice of a dazzling array of accompaniments: raspberry puree and crème fraîche, a fruit butter, sliced bananas or fresh berries and vanilla yogurt, sautéed apples, or lots of pure maple syrup and sweet butter. Ingredients:
Instructions: The night before serving, begin the waffle batter: In a large bowl or deep plastic container, combine the yeast, sugar, buttermilk, butter, salt, and flour with a whisk. Beat hard until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, preheat the oven to 250º. Heat a waffle iron to medium-high heat and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Beat the eggs, vanilla, and baking soda into the batter with a whisk until evenly incorporated. Ladle 1/2 cup batter into the center of the iron, close the lid, and cook until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes. Place each waffle in the warm oven in a single layer until the rest of the waffles are baked. Serve warm with one or more of the suggested accompaniments. To store, cool the waffles completely on a wire rack, wrap in plastic and then aluminum foil or plastic freezer bags, and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat frozen waffles in a toaster without thawing. Makes about 8 medium waffles, serves 6. CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST ROLLSThis chocolate-filled roll is a quick and easy variation of the French delicacy pain au chocolat. They are ready to eat within 2 hours of making and are perfect for holiday brunches. Keep a few imported chocolate bars such as Tobler, Perugina, and Lindt on the pantry shelf for the special ingredient in these rolls. If you can find raspberry-, apricot-, or nut-filled bars, they are even better. Ingredients:
Instructions: In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and pinch sugar over warm water. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl with a whisk or the work bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Beat hard for 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and 1/2 cup more flour. Beat again for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time to form a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl, switching to a wooden spoon as necessary if making by hand. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 to 2 minutes, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary to prevent sticking. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes on the work surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each portion to a 12-inch round. Cut each round into 8 wedges with a pastry wheel or sharp knife. Break the chocolate bar into its scored sections. Set a section on the base of each wedge. Roll up from the base to the point and form into a crescent. Arrange about 2 inches apart on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 30 minutes. The pastries may also rise overnight in the refrigerator. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the tops with the egg glaze. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until golden brown on top and bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before eating. Makes 16 crescents PINEAPPLE AND VANILLA CHEESE CRUMBCAKEMost coffee cake recipes, especially ones for winter, call for canned pineapple, but here the glistening fresh fruit layer is made from scratch and accented with pure vanilla, a most complementary culinary pairing. To choose a ripe pineapple, look for a strong sweet fragrance and yellow-brown skin that is not too green; the leafy crown will be a bright green and an inner leaf will detach easily when plucked from the center. Adapted from an old recipe clipped from Bon Appétit magazine decades ago, it is quite perfect in flavor and texture, and easily serves a large crowd. This is simply one of the best homemade coffeecakes. Ingredients: Fresh Pineapple Filling
Dough
Vanilla Cheese Filling
Cinnamon Crumb Top
Instructions: For the filling, peel, core, and chop the pineapple. Use a sharp knife to cut off both the crown and bottom. Cut away the skin and carve out the "eyes." Cut into four quarters lengthwise and core. Coarsely chop and place in a large heavy non-reactive saucepan. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool completely. May be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using. For the dough, combine 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Heat the milk with the butter to 120º in a saucepan or microwave oven. Using a large whisk if mixing by hand, add the hot milk and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time to make a very soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl, switching to a wooden spoon when the whisk becomes clogged. Turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth, yet still very soft, 1 minute for a machine-mixed dough and a hand-mixed dough 2 to 3 minutes, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking. Place the dough in a greased container, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, about 1- 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese filling and the crumb top. For the cheese filling, beat the cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in an electric mixer until very smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until needed. For the crumb top, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter pieces with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a food processor until dry coarse crumbs are formed. Do not overmix or the crumbs will clump. Refrigerate until needed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-by-18-by-1-inch baking sheet with parchment and grease the sides. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. With a rolling pin, roll out half of the dough to a 13-by-19-inch rectangle. Fit into the prepared pan, pressing to fit up the sides. With a large spatula, spread all of the cheese filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch margin all around. Spread the pineapple filling over the cheese filling. Roll out the remaining half of the dough to a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. Gently set atop the fruit layer and tuck the edges into the sides of the pan to contain the filling. Crimp the edges. Sprinkle with the crumb top and set aside to rest at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Place the pan on a rack to cool. Serve in squares cut from the pan, warm or at room temperature. Makes one 12-by-18-inch pan. |
Beth Hensperger is a passionate professional- and home- baker who is both extremely creative and extraordinarily prolific as an author and developer of quality recipes. Her training included a ten-year apprenticeship as a restaurant and hotel pastry chef as well as having her own custom wedding cake business and attending classes given by some of the top bakers in America. Though restaurant trained, she considers herself more of a dedicated home baker than a chef.
